Just a year ago, Phonak rider Tyler Hamilton roared through the final time trial at the six-day Tour de Romandie to defend his title. The emotional victory gave the Swiss team a huge boost in the run up to what would be its first Tour de France.

A year later, Hamilton wasn’t in Geneva for Tuesday’s short opening prologue for the 2005 edition. Instead, he’s fighting to save his cycling career after receiving a two-year racing ban for homologous blood doping.

That left it up to unsung and under-rated Oscar Pereiro to save the day for the Phonak team in the second most-important stage race in Switzerland.

Savoldelli: A difference of 0.23 seconds

Photo: Graham Watson

Pereiro charged over the short, but technical 3.4km course in downtown Geneva in four minutes, 28 seconds, relegating Discovery Channel’s Paolo Savoldelli into second by a mere 0.23 seconds.

Savoldelli had posted an early fast time that withstood solid challenges from last year’s prologue winner Brad McGee (FDJeux), 2000 Giro champ Stefano Garzelli (Liquigas-Bianchi) and Erik Dekker (Rabobank).

It looked like Savoldelli might just end his two-year winless drought until Pereiro hit the finishing straight, jamming his bike across the cobble-stoned stretch to win by the narrowest of margins.

In Italy, all eyes are on the much-hyped duel between young guns Ivan Basso and Damiano Cunego, but Tuesday in Geneva, it was the veteran Giro contenders who were stepping center-stage.

Savoldelli showed no signs of the early season crash that left him with a cracked shoulder while Garzelli’s strong third-place ride bodes well for his Giro chances.

With Gilberto Simoni already a winner twice this season (at Mont Faron in Paris-Nice and the Giro dell’Appennino last weekend), Damiano Cunego’s palmares are still empty so far in 2005. The Lampre-Caffita rider played it safe, however, on the potentially dangerous course, rife with tight corners, cobble-stoned sections and a short climb.

While Pereiro snagged the leader’s jersey, Savoldelli had to be very pleased with his strong performance.

The upcoming stages in the mountains will give a clearer indication of where everyone stands, but the 2002 champ looks more than ready to make a run at another Giro d’Italia title.

The Romandie tour continues Wednesday with the 167km first stage with a hilly circuit course in Avenches.